Welcome to the C-zone

Bristol Dave has put up a proposed map of the Congestion Zone. This is the same blog that had the -accurate- resident parking zone maps before anyone else, so it certainly represents thinking by part of the team that was in power up until last Tuesday

The central zone isn't surprising, but the Northern Zone is.

1. All of that area but the Nugent Hill area will be in the RPZ. Assuming that goes ahead, and the residents get free entry (not guaranteed, because the RPZ map includes the southern side of Cotham Road, but this C-zone would only work with cameras on St Michael's Hill and Cotham Road South, those being the main entry points. A camera would be needed at the end of Kingsdown parade too.
   
2. With Horfield Road in the C-zone, there is no way to get from Cotham to the centre except via Whiteladies Road or Gloucester Road.
3. With Arley Hill and Elmdale Road in the C-zone, there is no way to get to Whiteladies Road or Gloucester Road except coming in further north (Aberdeen Road, Zetland Road) and then turning south.
4. So this removes all incentive to drive through the area to get to or from Park Row.
   
5. Given the area will all become RPZ, the through-drivers could be addressed by four ANPR cameras -at the St Michael's Hill/Park Row junction, Woodland Road/Park Row, Arley Hill/Gloucester Road and Elmdale Road/Triangle. Make them red-light/speed cameras too, for the fun of it.
6. It will be a tax on everyone from Cotham and Redland who drives to the North Fringe via Kingsdown-St James-Barton-M32, but not if they go on Kellaway-Avenue and Filton Avenue.
   
7. The proposed C-zone also targets one group not affected by the proposed-RPZ -university car parking in the A-B-C car park zones and nearby pavements, and BRI staff.
   

Given the university have just clamped down on bicycles parked out of their -overflowing- bike parks, it's hard to feel sympathy. To be fair though, to get a staff permit to use their parking spaces costs a few hundred pounds a year, and the permits are limited, so a lot of staff don't bother, they park-and-walk for free. As for the BRI, it's pushing for extra staff parking. They may get it -at a price.

The progressives say Yes!

Below is a press release put out by the Brandon Hill supporters of their parking zone. You can judge from the tone that they are pretty unhappy about the unionists saying "No!", which shows they don't understand: it's all that unionists do. If your entire notion of self is defined by fighting plans to restrict parking by the council, then of course you fight them. The founder of the Keep Parking Free group apparently fought the council in a losing battle over a new zebra crossing in Clifton because it would take away three parking spaces. But still, they must fight progress, because that defines them

The Parking Zone supporters have a web site. On the site they say they want support for the proposed schemes. If you do wish to support them, email democratic.services at bristol.gov.uk and refer to the Call-In meeting on 5th January. Statements need to be submitted before noon on the 2nd of January 2009.


NEWS RELEASE –immediate release

31st December 2008

PARKING SCHEME REFERRAL TO "CALL-IN" COMMITTEE IS FRIVOLOUS

The review of the proposals to introduce two pilot resident’s parking schemes at a special Council meeting on 5th January 2009 is an unnecessary use of public time and money.

The pilot schemes were approved at a Cabinet Meeting on 27th November but the Conservative Group decided to refer the matter to the Call-In committee. This is a cynical and frivolous move with one thing in mind – to cause delay in the introduction of the pilot schemes. The Conservative group oppose any residents’ parking scheme of any kind in the city as does their "new best friend" – the NO campaign.

The Conservatives are seeking to thwart the expressed wishes of the majority of residents in the pilot areas in Clifton and Kingsdown. It would appear the group places the car owners’ rights to do whatever they want with their vehicles in this city above those of people who wish to live a quiet and normal life. They clearly believe the car is king.

The claims that the consultation was "flawed" are spurious. No definition of a benchmark for good practice in consultation has been given or described. What is meant by "flawed"? Certainly a consultation can’t be perfect. Such a hurdle would be impossible to achieve. We believe the consultation was on balance fair. If it was imperfect in any way it was because it Residents around the city were originally asked to vote for a draconian scheme with 24 hour restrictions and no flexibility. If they didn’t like the idea of this rigid scheme, they had no choice but to vote ‘no’. Given this, if the survey was biased at all, it was towards a ‘no’ vote. This completely negates the argument that the survey was flawed in favour of a ‘yes’ vote.

The Yes to Residents Parking Zone campaign team has been formed by a group of non-aligned residents in the Clifton Wood area. We have no connection with Bristol Council or any of the political parties. We have been circulating leaflets in the Brandon Hill zone and urging those in support of the pilots to submit statements to the Call-In committee and to attend this meeting.

We will be attending Call-In Committee on Monday 5th January and will oppose any consideration to refer the RPZ proposals to either a full Council Meeting or Cabinet meeting.

Our website address is: http://www.yestorpz.info

For further information contact: Stephen Perry 0117 904 0287, 07960 525191

John Carr's Terrace #2

First, a correction to the earlier post. John Carr's Terrace, behind the H&A, isn't part of the zone.

Even so this Brandon Hill back road isn't a great place to think about parking your car before heading down to the Hope and Anchor for a few of their fine beers. But it will end up surrounded by restricted parking areas, so it is handy to remember.

If the CPZ included an enforcement of those double and single yellow pavements, the parking capacity of this road would drops by half. Presumably every vehicle on the right hand side of this photo belongs to a household that voted against the plan. And everyone on the left, because the vehicles on the right would be trying to get into their area.

There's a price of staying out the CPZ area though: the cars don't get the option of parking on Jacob's wells road. By opting to retain the right to park illegally on the pavement by their house, they've lost the option of parking legally round the corner.

[photo by Chris Hutt]

John Carrs Terrace

Chris Hutt visited his local proposed RPZ area to see what impact the zone would have on local life. This was a Sunday -the day the zone would not be live. Presumably, these pavement spaces will be open to anyone on those days

The rest of the week, only residents will be able to park on these pavements. The alternative: no parking on pavements, is too unthinkable to consider.

Making Bristol more pedestrian friendly

It is pedestrians who are meant to get priority in road/junction designs. Not cars, not cyclists, not FirstBus. Yet they normally come out worst. A bit of pavement narrowed in St Pauls for an extra car lane; pavement elsewhere covered in bike parking stands for the bikes. And then there are all the cars half way up the pavement.

So its nice to report something different: the emergence of extra seats at the tops of hills.

Here on the climb up from St Werburgh's

And here on Brandon Steep, the road south of Brandon Hill.

These sofas will help people gradually take up walking up hill, by providing places to rest, and so make Bristol a better place to walk round.